[Editorial]: A Suggestive Exhibition of DesignsSource: The Art Amateur, Vol. 5, No. 6 (Nov., 1881), p. 112Published by:Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25627496 .

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ii2 . - THE ART AMA JR, A SUGGESTIVE EXHIBITION OF DESIGNS.

THE wall-paper designs on view at the Amercan Art Gallery, brought together by the liberal offer of Messrs. Warren, Fuller & Co., of over two thousand dollars in prizes, afford an interesting and instructive exhibition. With the inducements for competition per haps one might reasonably have looked for a larger and better display, but it must be remembered that this is the first attempt at such. an affair; and too much ought not to be expected. As it is, we are satisfied that it will be by no means barren of good results. About seventyf designs were received, a third or more coming from France, England, and Germany, and forty five have been hung. Had the number .to choose from been larger, the standard of selection no doubt would have been severer. But for educational purposes the collection would not have served so well. Now, while .,it offers many opportunities for praise, it emphasizes some common faults in wall-paper decoration which should be pointed out so that they may be avoided, in future;

Glancing at the array on the walls of the gallery we see the work of professionals and amateurs widely vary' ing in excellence. In some of the exhibits we find orig inal ideas, artistic ability in rendering-them, but often inadequate skill in crystallizing them for mechanical ex ecution. In others there is the neat, soulless, conven tional labor of the professional designer; 'his work is good of its kind, but he dares not venture-beyond the circumscribed limits of: the workshop;. Then there is the abortive effort of the painstaking artisan of some

wall-paper factory; he knows what 'is mechanicMly ne cessary, and, if properly directed, willimake a faultless paper, but it is evident he will never learn how to de sign one. In this candidate for honors there is much to respect; at least he knows his craft, and honestly strives to know more. But a person for whom we have no. respect is the amateur who, without taste, imag ination, knowledge, or skill, with the blind confidence of ignorance boldly enters the lists, hoping by good luck" to carry off a prize. Of the class first indicated there are several excellent

examples on the east wall, which visitors generally, we ' think, will find the most charming in the exhibition. They are differently signed, but seem to be from the same hand. - That this hand is nbt that of .a workshop artist 1s evident, and yet we should say that the designs are not the essay of 'a novice in wall-paper decoration. One 'of them is a clever application of -a marine mo tive. The dado shows fishes swimming' amid sea

weed; the " filling"-as' the field is technically called -is the blue-green water seen through'a silver net, and there is a .frieze of shells and sea-weed. Borders of gold 'and silver fish-scales or of shells -and weeds are effectively introduced to mark the divisions of the wall space., Another design of this group has for its motive a peony and foliage, treated broadly in Morris style, in delicate tones of rose, olive-green, and cream color, with large 'disks, of gold, which in the frieze form a kind of nimbus for the flowers. Gold-leaf is scattered in irregular flakes with good effecct over field and frieze. But the clevetest design of this group is a decorative

treatment of 'the bee-hive. The " flling", is a silver honeycomb wvith, at irregular 'but nicely calc:ulated Jn tervals, honey-cells of gold, and very lively and.gor geous bees are roaming at will in a charmingly natural way. The dado of metallic green is brokenl with a" tangle of c!over,. gold disks, and more bees. The frieze is the only weak part of the design. The motive is the vertical section of a bee-hive,' monotonously repeated. In commending this very clever design we say distinct-, ly that we consider it quite unsuited for ordinary.use. Those wonderful insects buzzing at one all day as suredly would not contribute ~to that sense of-repose which, as a rule, a good wall-paper should afford. Living objects treated naturally may only be ihtroduced into flat decoration under the most rigorous restric tions, but for a lounging room in a country house, or for a smoking-room, or even a lady's boudoir in a townl house, we believe the introduction of such a pretty fan ciful paper as this would be- not only permissible but absolutely delightful.

Quite differently, however, do we think of the marine .designs signed "Vae viCtiS." "WNoe to the vanquish ed," indeed ! Woe to him who makes an essay and' fails; when anothe-r, using the same theme, succeeds. The dark-green dado of this paper is good, with its Japanese. treatment of swimming fish, made decorative

by the broken horizontal lines of -gold, suggesting. water. But the frieze of - sea-plants is weak, and the "filling" representing water, with scores' of uncanny looking objects dartingf to and 'fro-the vermin of the sea-is a woeful exhibition of bad taste. Compare this with the marine design -noticed above. The author of that knew better than to mike an aquarium of his wall. Of the papers of unmistakable professional origin

the most striking is that signed "Perseverance." It is the' only wall-paper accompanied by a ceiling de sign, in fact no other design for ceiling decoration is exhibited. The fir, almond and bamboo are the very Japanese motives selected for the wall, and the almond blossom alone for the -ceiling. These materials are treated in a Japanesque-we can hardly say Japanes

mannier. The work evidences much technical knowl edge, but the coloring is so disagreeable that at a first glance one is apt to withhold from the design its'just due. The " filling" and the ceiling would, if better colored, make excellent papers. The dado and frieze are too crowded, and. the former we certainly think would be improved-by the 'omission of the flying cranes.

The design with the motto, "'' Inddstrie,:progrs"-^ a' Neo-Greek motive--,also thewwork of a professional,' is rich and serviceable. .-That -signed '.'A Spes" is.ser viceable and -not rich. The gorgeous one, resplendent in cnmson, gold, and blue, with the :motto "Courage

wins everything"-it looks like the work of a carpet designer-is very rich, but, wept should hope, -not very serviceable.. There is little, indeed, in this design to commend, although we feel that it is just the sort of thing which will be produced and will have a large sale. "Tempus" sends a clever adaptation of the thistle, ar ranged with 'much ingenuity for frieze, " filling," and dado. The coloring is not pleasant, but-the manufac turer could make-good use of the.designa. We come often upon an exhibit excellent in-parts but

wanting as a whole. -One with a didactic-motto, "A wall-paper must not be- a -picture," has a "'filling" of a good though' not very original tapestry' -design; the dado which goes' with 'it -is -a bad application .-of an architectural motive. Another with graceful arabes ques-in Renaissance style, signed . New Columbia,i" is also weak- as to-the dado. The safnen-must. be.said of the design of dandelion 'seed-globes: on a gold ground. and of the graceful- design of wild 'roses with. leaves on a low green and russet ground, the v'whole seen through a metal lattice work.- Among. such unequalwork as is shown in these, however, the manufacturer will still find mu'ch that will be suitable for production. The dado for practical purposes is of little consequence.:; Persons of taste are beginning to see, what we have .frequently pointed out, that it is absurd to break up a -wall- of 'average height by divisions -which must con tract it to the eye. The frieze is often a desirable finish to a wall of fair height, but the purpose of tihe, dado is generally filled by the natural disposition in a room of furniture, mantel-piece, and bookeishelves. There are several designs which,- while unavailable

as they stand, may be utilized to great advantaje by a practiced hand. Prominent among these are two by "Sub rosa." His lily design for "1filJigt' Is particu larly good. TWe decorative effect of ArAbc characters, applied to a frieze; is illustrated fin the design of " Spera et fidelis" [sic]. The coloring is undesirably original, but the des,Igns for both frieze and i'ifiiling" are strikiingly suggestiie of tome-plates in "-L'Art Arabe." As has already been remarked, one. of the :advan

tages of an exhtibition of this kind is that it emphasizes what:is to be avoided as well as what is to be desired. To see all p.ossible faults combined the reader is referred tO the labored nonsense of the ethSibitor with thie some

what too confidenit motto, "" Hlp yourself and HEeavren. will help you. " For faults which may be conquered after some lessons from a~ practical designer; we notice the - feebly executed design of "-Anirnus' tanem ideni." An example' of woefully misdirected' originalitj iS' the de sign signed " C flowers ;" the dado, whiedb-should be the strong or structural -portion of the wall; is' com .posed of bands of tawdry " pinked" tissue paper on a ground of brown shavings, the stiff frieze having- a nar r6w band to match the dado,- with' the addition of a fringe of shavings. Another design we can compare only to an elaborately decorated window-.sbade,'with its tasselled frieze and wonderfully fringed dado; there are-about thirtyF horizontal divisions on 'this remnarkable exhibit. Perhaps, though, there is nothing worse in the gallery' than the exhibit 'of pea-cock: and ostrich feathers stiffly disposed for a " filling," a sort of brown

brick arrangement for a dado, and imitatiopn silk ru6f P inigs for a frieze.. These are no scho1tjrJg' ff.o, but bre vidently the carefully finislwd wk f t hands but wildly erratic brains. ',

6Ai the whole, the exhibition niu-ti . to mjdr : diitinct step in wa.i-paper de,sigpjng in this coiUy?. ' and it is to be hoped that thei i rJlz' ipJef e prothters of the enterprise wilil 42r0i Wrt. ; 'houss in other branthes of a it jct;T

;. S.-Since'the riingof N jgve thprzeDs lve , been awarded as follows: Fjt4frpi w, to Mr+sOw, T.. M. Wheeler, for the beehivp dqsign second prze, $50a; to Miss Ida F. Clark,- lot $aniIvetZ .b ne desigt; third prize, $300, to 1VJ-Ca.CoIine .Townsed -(" Sib rosa"), for her design qf lilies .; and. the :.fourth . prize, $2oo, to Miss Dora Whjeler, for the peony de- - sign. It is worthy of rem.ark th-t all tl .prizbes have been Won by women.

AMOlG the many clever young drtists of the alma gundi Sketch Club there is probly none of greater promise than Mr. George W. ESwd rds. It is hidly -

necessar-y for us to speak d-f his charmingly executed little driing, printed on anothbr pFge, for it tells its+7 own stor. : But we may.say .that, hastily._dashed!; off ast was. At our r equest), it sh.ws remarkable faci ity and spirit,. as inHdeed Ages. !a)). his. wo.rk that we have : . seen. Mr. Edwards W,s p4jtbpse ijdurpt4ous, ea.r- ` ? nest. art students who xe-boun4 to ucceed. &Ie uS already fayoaibly. know *by-+is pptributi on s tp mSQe - of. the. ill itaed nm3g,z4';.jii4 ,y- his, l?l4; ca . white exhi,, .ikhon.sJceth,s;.W, wf w `Ia.wt4-,+ y-jthrjq terest the p ot,ess*Qf :i s 9Lee -. . w .

_, ,, ;1@ ,.; t ,4 -, .t '' ; -'s

_UI the Metropoltn `Mus# '

Eurq.*p d n-ngMhesdtszi -. .

# t sS??;

B~ey4, ?itin<rAItlbi'&sftoIa"

is pow ariratan r fhe" .,w

;', k . !ri~ ~~4rs #d'd' t&hes jfs * o 'thes '4ufi M lheE

mQtiprant.- bti4e ` l'tter is t itcht*o' '

tique~ ~ ~ ectonof ntiue glss * .. a. - - ...- . ;the 7ge?ne.rotxs v!o'Nt-M li' Mar quand.^ .Mr. J Jtao-ks.op J;rves ,alsou-h~sm;idp.axpr,es ent of antique glass to thlse Museum4i 12l4k'C4?e -it,..but. believ.e tha.t st-as.;pt:rlamed'tote'?. feip&vHl$e -sa-}

The; Charnvetclc6etie9n.4.I4g een J.i,it&-q.i

noisseurs asvere**l for _w,slw ,*npuw*, York ifstisie6ni i b r tt4te - jq t

To-aSy; though. i as;T 5 tvenjng Rpst A49 tl.t ;.a.h these additions. tt boghof4en4ll -: iCe`noli -the M-etropolitan Mup'um wuill havet est cJ iou of, ancient-glass

.ja4l.eKworW ' ss n absurd,

fr one .natutalfqgtomn tsjp* pp ;hl - collectiin att the Biti&h Mnsppm, W i5hhtha - M n added tlie Slade aniHendPeon Wjtnsp- .Why. in, dulge in exaggerati#,pis*?.rPhfaots.rstrong enppg ;.

And wby speak of M Charvet- as Aa

"cld l;ectr, when it is well IioWn -that- he i.s a dealer, and haslong had this collection for sale; 'Hp is a dealer jhst-as Gen6al bi Cesnola was. a dealer wheri he ioldli-i-In .some of the veryr pieces hnow in this collection, and

when he soldto the Oxford -Museum the aftdtie glass of the second Ceshnoa collection, which; by the wayV-is said'to -'be much supeor 'to that which he sold to bur New York M;Iuseum. It is time that we' heard the J1 t of the snobbish distinction it is attempted to draw be tween a " dealer" and -a ciAdevant dealer, promoted to. be Director. ,The collection surely can be no less valua ble because Mr. Marquand bought it of a dealer.

*1' **. ..

IT is not wise to let one distinguished firm -of decora tors complete a noble saloon in a particular style, and then call in the aid of another distinguished firm to try an improvement in the way of' a ceiling. This was -done recently at a famous. Fifth Av&rnue mransion, and the- result 'naturally was a failure. It has beein more than hinted that the new meN' purposey decorated the

This content downloaded from 193.105.154.57 on Fri, 23 May 2014 00:05:15 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions